|
|
Article: Cholesterol Levels Fall in Older Americans
- Article from:
- AP Online
- Article date:
- October 12, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Associated Press. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Associated Press. (Hide copyright information)
|
LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer
AP Online
10-12-2005
Dateline: CHICAGO
Despite the sharp rise in obesity in the United States, cholesterol levels in older Americans have fallen markedly over the past 40 years, mainly because of the introduction of statin drugs in the late 1980s, a government study found.
Statins _ which include such widely used medicines as Lipitor, Zocor and Pravachol _ can dramatically reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, the bad kind that can clog arteries and lead to heart attacks. The drop in Americans' overall cholesterol levels resulted from a decline in LDL.
Between 1960 and 2002, average total cholesterol levels for men and women ages 20 to 74 dropped from 222 ...